New Music Reviews (6/8)

Each week, Music Director Chris Sanley and Associate Music Director Alex Ruder share brief insights on new and upcoming releases for KEXP's rotation. These reviews help our DJs decide on what they want to play. See what we added this week below (and on our Charts page), including new releases from Death Cab For Cutie, Vince Staples, Blue Lab Beats, and more. 

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Death Cab For Cutie - I Built You A Tower (ANTI-)
The eleventh studio album from PNW indie rock stalwarts Death Cab For Cutie marks their first release with independent label ANTI- following two decades on a major. Across eleven enrapturing tracks, Ben Gibbard’s trademark vocals deliver sincere, poetic lyricism, propelled by cinematic soundscapes built from dynamic guitars, keys, and percussion. With compelling, theatrical swells of sound and expert production from John Congleton, I Built You A Tower balances intimacy and grandeur in a way that only a Death Cab record can. –CS

Vince Staples - Cry Baby (Loma Vista/Concord) 
The new album from Long Beach multi-hyphenate Vince Staples, his first for Loma Vista/Concord, is a mind-blowing set of adventurous, forward-thinking hip-hop. With live instrumentation, gripping hooks, and urgent, socially conscious lyricism, Cry Baby is an essential listen for the modern age. Or as he puts it, “As the world burns, I have decided to release this album. Thanks for listening.”  –CS

Blue Lab Beats - The Blue Lab Beats Show (Blue Adventure)
The fifth studio from this London-based production duo – Namali Kwaten (aka NK-OK) and David Mrakpor (aka Mr DM) – is another stellar collection that displays their vibrant and joyful intersection of jazz, hip-hop, grime, electronic, and R&B/soul with confident dips into worldly styles like Baile Funk (“São Paulo To Motherland”) and dancehall (“Fire Up”). Regardless of style, it’s all carried by Blue Lab Beats’ crisp productions, enthusiastic energy, and a communal, celebratory spirit that’s enhanced by a diverse cast of guest vocalists, including a sweet collaboration with Jamila Woods on “Slow Heart.” –AR

DJ Seinfeld - If This Is It (Ninja Tune)
The third studio album from Swedish DJ and producer Armand Jakobsson, aka DJ Seinfeld, is an incandescent set of groovy, inventive house and UK garage. With kaleidoscopic synths, trance-inducing beats, and guest appearances from TS Graye, Confidence Man, Dan Whitlam, ARY, just lil, Moyka, and SG Lewis, If This Is It explores themes of unease, restlessness, and contentment. The result is an infectious collection of multifaceted, deeply human electronic music. –CS

Jalen Ngonda - Doctrine of Love (Daptone) 
The sophomore album from London-based singer-songwriter Jalen Ngonda is a transportive collection of dreamy northern soul. Highlighting his signature, breathtaking vocals, Doctrine of Love features a classic blend of R&B and neo-soul with lush arrangements of keys, horns, strings, and guitars alongside masterful production from Vince Chiarito and Michael Buckley. At the heart of the record is Ngonda’s tender, heartfelt lyricism, which wraps listeners in warmth and longing as he captures the magic of northern soul while putting his own distinct stamp on these swoon-worthy expressions. –CS

Modest Mouse - An Eraser and A Maze (Glacial Pace Recordings/Virgin) 
The eighth studio album from Issaquah-formed, Portland-based Modest Mouse is their first in over five years and their first since the sudden passing of drummer Jeremiah Green. Led by enigmatic vocalist Isaac Brock, An Eraser and A Maze boasts labyrinthine arrangements built from layered guitars, synths, whistles, Wurlitzer, pedal steel, percussion, and more, all in service of Brock’s knack for memorable hooks. Arriving in an era marked by grief, these honest, stream-of-consciousness lyrics and playful, ornate song structures offer a welcome sense of levity.  –CS

PawPaw Rod - Picture Day: A PawPaw Rod Album (Independent Co.)
Hawaii-born, Oklahoma-raised, LA-based musician Rodney Hulsey (aka PawPaw Rod) has been steadily delivering top-notch singles and four EPs of woozy, funky, infectious R&B/soul/pop jams since his debut single arrived in late 2020. Picture Day marks his long-awaited debut full-length album and it further cements his status as a standout artist in the contemporary R&B landscape with a smooth crossover pop vision. –AR

Rosa Walton - Tell Me It’s A Dream (Transgressive) 
The debut solo album from Let’s Eat Grandma’s Rosa Walton is vibrant and full of life. Built from magnetic synth work, shimmering guitars, propulsive percussion, and Walton’s enchanting vocals, Tell Me It’s A Dream presents a fully formed dream-pop sonic tapestry. It’s a big, bold first solo outing from this London-based singer-songwriter, showcasing an artist whose ambitions know no bounds. –CS

Slippers - Slippers 08 (K/perennial) 
Sometimes it's the short and sweet indie pop songs that pack the biggest punch. Such is the case for Madeline BB’s new Slippers album, the LA-based singer-songwriter’s second full-length. Slippers 08 is a no-muss, no-fuss collection of charming, hook-filled twee pop gems with memorable guitar lines, tender vocals, and clever lyricism. What a bright, delightful treat worth revisiting again and again. –CS

Sparklmami - in this body (Verve/Slowplay)
The debut album from this Texas-raised, Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist of Mexican and Indian heritage is a sweet showcase of her groovy, exploratory, soulful pop style that blends jazz, funk, Latin, R&B, MPB, and dream-pop influences through a breezy worldly vision. Her cheery, nimble, bright-eyed vocals are a perfect match for her band’s lush, adventurous, locked-in arrangements, their lively fusion yielding a unique jazz-rooted, genre-blurring debut record from a new artist worth getting familiar with. –AR

Widowspeak - Roses (Captured Tracks)
The seventh studio album from NYC-based duo Widowspeak is a timeless set of folk-inflected indie rock and dream pop treasures. The songs on Roses feel lived-in and comforting. With dusty, textured soundscapes shaped by Molly Hamilton’s hazy, expressive vocals, atmospheric guitars, and layered embellishments of keys and delicate percussion, these ten tracks leave an indelible mark. –CS

Zoh Amba - Eyes Full (Matador)
Free jazz saxophonist Zoh Amba takes a wild left turn in their musical career with their singer-songwriter debut. Eyes Full arrives after Amba returned to their roots, both by picking up their first instrument, the guitar, and relocating from NYC to their hometown of Kingsport, TN. Driven by their distinct vocals, vulnerable lyricism, and expressive guitar work, these thirteen tracks cut straight to the heart as Amba reveals a remarkable gift for storytelling, emerging as a singular new voice in contemporary folk rock. –CS

Asal - Kiss the Sun (self-released)
The second album from this Iranian-born, Vancouver, BC-based Persian artist is a strong set of evocative alt-pop with a R&B streak that sways between brooding, romantic, and melancholic. With inspiration stemming from her discovery of pre-revolution Iranian psychedelic rock, Kiss the Sun finds this emerging artist – who immigrated from Iran to Canada when she was 11 years old – stepping into her own breakout sound. –AR

Crackazat - SUN (Freerange)
The fourth full-length album Bristol, UK-born, Sweden-based multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, and bandleader Ben Jacobs (aka Crackazat) is a radiant display of his infectious, feel-good, dancefloor-primed sound that’s heavy on jazzy house grooves with splashes of hip-hop, funk, and R&B. His addictive rhythms, warm chords, lush arrangements, and airy vocals consistently shine bright and he gets sweet assists from soul singers Lyric Jones, Olivier St.Louis, and Eva Lazarus as well as a standout feature from British rapper Cap1talA that ultimately makes SUN a joyful, uplifting, communal experience. –AR

Dollpile - Someone Else’s Heaven (Grand Jr.)
The second album from this Denver outfit fronted by Isadora Eden is a promising set of fuzzy indie rock and dreamy shoegaze that pairs Isadora’s airy, melancholic vocals with the band’s swirling, cozy, guitar-forward backdrops. –AR

Fatoumata Diawara - Massa (No Førmat!)
The latest album from this Malian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress who has collaborated with Nubiyan Twist, Disclosure, and Gorillaz finds her teaming up with acclaimed French producer Matthieu Chedid (aka -M-) and it’s a solid set of warm soul music that filters her foundational Malian roots through a colorful global-pop prism. –AR

Les Big Byrd - Ruin Everything (Chimp Limbs)
The fifth album from this Stockholm band is a sweet set of celestial motorik psychedelic rock that boasts a sweeping grandeur. A follow-up to their instrumental-heavy 2024 album Diamonds, Rhinestones and Hard Rain, Ruin Everything finds lead singer Jocke Åhlund’s vocals blurring wonderfully into their epic compositions, and they sneak in a ripping instrumental highlight with the album’s title track. –AR

Montoya - Tayta (ZZK)
Inspired by a transformative journey through Colombia’s Putumayo region and time spent at Cantos de la Tierra, a gathering space focused on ancestral knowledge and traditional plant medicine, the fourth album from Italy-based Colombian-born musician Jhon William Castaño Montoya (aka Montoya) is a strong set of hypnotic, absorbing, and expansive Latin electronic music infused with indigenous folk elements and sophisticated pop moments. Montoya’s magnetic beats consistently shine on their own, and they serve as fantastic foundations for a couple vocal-laced highlights in “Fantasia” with Italian singer/musician Elasi and “Brillar” with Buenos Aires neo-soul singer Aluminè. Kindred world-traveling musician/producer Clap! Clap! also makes a guest appearance on another standout offering, “Oddu.” -–AR

Moses Yoofee Trio - CHASING LIGHT (LEITER)
The latest EP from this Berlin-based trio led by pianist, keyboardist, and producer Moses Yoofee continues to showcase their exquisite intersection of jazz and hip-hop enhanced with smart sprinklings of R&B and electronics. Mulay and Ahmad Mateen make guest appearances on the EP’s two vocal tracks, and Moses and his trio deliver the instrumental goods across all six tracks. –AR

Phoenix James - Teeth EP (+1 Records)
NYC-based singer, songwriter, and producer Phoenix James unveils her enrapturing debut EP. Opening track “Hold On” offers a bold introduction into her magnetic blend of alt-R&B and indie pop, as Teeth unfolds to reveal dynamic vocals, intimate lyricism, and the complexities of modern love. Speaking about the EP, she shares: “This project lives in the tension between holding on and letting go, between being seen and being left unseen, between craving closeness and fearing what it might reveal. The title Teeth came from that idea: how intimacy can be both a bite and a balm. It’s the ache of wanting to be chosen, the heat of desire, the silence that follows a goodbye, the little violences we carry in our mouths when we try to say what we mean. Every track is a different shape of that feeling. This isn’t about perfect love. It’s about real love. Love with blood in its mouth.” –CS

RaiNao - Marcriá (Rimas Entertainment, LLC)
The second studio album from this emerging Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer is a strong set of vibrant, expansive, soulful R&B-pop with a romantic, breezy, Caribbean touch. Fresh off a live performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk series and a breakout guest feature on Bad Bunny’s single “PERFuMITO NUEVO" from his massive 2025 album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (which the two later performed together on SNL), RaiNao shines bright throughout this majestic global pop record. –AR

Satya - Yellow House (Checker Print)
The debut album from Oakland native Satya is a dreamy set of folk-tinged soul and alt-R&B. With her rich, honeyed vocals as its centerpiece, Yellow House pairs cinematic guitars with diaristic lyricism, revealing a talented singer-songwriter unafraid to wear her heart on her sleeve.  –CS

zzzahara - Distant Lands (Lex)
The fourth album from LA-based singer songwriter zzzahara is a chilled-out fusion of indie rock, dream pop, and slowcore with a lo-fi sensibility. Through hazy vocals, murky guitars, and muddied percussion, Distant Lands finds them shifting their lyrical focus beyond romantic relationships to family, addiction, and self-discovery, delivering a deep, coming-of-age collection. –CS